We are so honored to have Ben and Desiree’s wedding featured on Rustic Wedding Chic this morning!

Their intimate wedding at her parent’s ranch style home is one of our favorite weddings, and Desiree shared with us some of her thoughts and plans when it came to putting together their beautiful wedding.

Where did you draw inspiration for the details in your wedding?

I drew inspiration from my parent’s yard actually. I took in what was already there, and already beautiful, and worked with the landscaping. They have an abundance of succulents, red rock, rustic patio furniture, and very rustic décor. I decided purple would look best with the colors that were in the yard, which was great, because I’ve always loved purple!
I drew more inspiration from various wedding blogs, I loved seeing new ideas from other brides, and seeing the point of view from the photographers lenses. I especially loved ideas that required you to do the work.

What was your favorite piece to create and why?
For sentimental reasons, I loved my bouquet that I made from satin fabric, with a brooch that belonged to my grandmother, who I was really close to, but she passed away from cancer years ago. Having that brooch made me feel like she was there with me.
I loved our vintage box, lined with the purple satin, that was used for disposable cameras. It was a box we found at an antique store that looked very worn, very “rustic” but the satin in it added so much to it. I also loved doing the centerpieces, which were sunflowers with purple leaves, in mason jars, on top of burlap, on top of purple satin table cloths. It’s safe to say I loved every piece we created!

Describe some of the DIY elements you had at your wedding and reception:
Almost everything was DIY at my reception. From the Invites, to the Candy Buffet. I shopped for months using coupons from Michaels, hitting the local Thrift Stores, as well as Antique Stores to find all my favorite pieces to use for the day. I put up ads on Freecycle.com in search of mason jars and burlap, and actually did get all that I needed, for FREE so not only was it all DIY it was all very budget friendly!
Two days before the wedding, we went to the local farmers market and bought all our flowers for the day for about $80.00. On the following Friday my friend and I cut the flowers, put them in the mason jars, and refrigerated them until they were ready to be used. They came out really pretty, and ended up looking quite fresh for almost a week! We also cut the runners from a large roll of burlap. My mom and I spent an evening cutting, measuring, and ironing them for the big day, and they came out beautiful! I also did my table numbers myself, using stamps I purchased at Michaels, with the butterfly element I wanted included throughout the reception. Everything we had on display that day had some kind of DIY element to it, which is exactly what I wanted.

What were the benefits of having your wedding in your family’s home?
Obviously, no fees! There were no time restrictions as far as when we could go in and decorate, and when we had to end our event. We had the freedom to do what we wanted with the backyard, which we totally took advantage of.

What was your favorite memory from your wedding?
Oddly enough, our first dance, though I was dreading it, and honestly the thought of everyone watching us during that moment made me want to vomit before the actual moment… Neither of us are big on being the center of attention, but when I stopped and took in the moment, and looked into my husbands eyes, I kind of melted.

What suggestions do you have for other brides who are putting together their own wedding?

I can’t say anything that other brides haven’t said. Live in the moment. Appreciate the day because it goes by SO fast. Don’t sweat the small details, because no one but you really notices…let people help you if they offer! Also, don’t be afraid to think out of the box, and use coupons! There is no need to pay full price for anything!